| Lectionary note: Vigil of Pentecost or Pentecost Sunday |
|---|
| The Lectionary presents two sets of readings for Pentecost Sunday: the Vigil/Extended Vigil of Pentecost or Pentecost Sunday. This commentary uses the readings for Pentecost Sunday. |
| Reading 1 | Response | Reading 2 | Gospel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acts 2:1-11 | Ps 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34 | 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 | Jn 20:19-23 |
| RCL: Acts 2:1-11 | RCL: 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 | RCL: Jn 20:19-23 |
Pentecost: the Spirit comes dramatically and intimately
Pentecost, the final day of the Easter season, celebrates the Spirit’s outpouring on the ekklesia. Throughout the Easter season, Jesus has revealed himself in the upper room, appeared to his disciples and explained his resurrection’s meaning; taught about true shepherding and the way to the Father, promised a perpetual paraclete, and prayed for those who are in the world. The Pentecost readings ask us how we see and experience the Spirit in and though the believing community.
First reading (Acts 2:1-11)
The first reading is from the Acts of the Apostles, written by the same author as Luke’s gospel in the late 80s. Acts continues the story of Jesus and his believing community: the resurrected Jesus returns to the Father and sends the Spirit. Luke’s sequel is the story of the Spirit’s continuing actions in Jesus’ believing community, primarily in the words and actions of Peter and of Paul.
In today’s pericope, Luke describes the outpouring of the Spirit on the believing community during the Jewish feast of Pentecost, which commemorates God’s gift of Torah at Sinai. Luke borrows imagery from Hebrew scripture to symbolize God’s presence. First, Luke mentions wind (“a noise like a strong driving wind”), recalling God’s presence at creation (“a mighty wind sweeping over the waters,” Gn 1:2). Luke highlights the wind to remind his community that the spirit of God, first present at creation, is present at the Pentecost event. Next, Luke mentions fire (“tongues of fire“), recalling God’s manifestation at Sinai (“the LORD had come down upon it in fire,” Ex 19:18). Throughout Hebrew scripture, fire indicates God’s presence. Luke’s detail about “tongues of fire” suggests that the Twelve’s post-Pentecost preaching will express God’s presence in human words. Finally, Luke mentions the confusion of languages. In the tower of Babel story (Gn 11:1-9), God creates a “confusion of languages” to prevent humans from blurring the boundary between heaven and earth. In the Pentecost story, a diverse group who speaks many languages are eager to hear God’s word. Miraculously, they hear the Twelve speaking in their own language. Luke suggests that the Spirit reverses Babel’s “confusion of languages,” giving people a new ability to hear, and empowering them to become a new community.
The Lectionary editors chose this reading because it describes the Pentecost event.
Second reading (1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13)
The second reading is from Paul’s first letter to the Corinth ekklesia. Paul writes to real flesh-and-blood people working out how best to live their faith. Paul teaches disciples to reject any words, actions, or distinctions that disrupt the community’s unity and holiness. Love is the basis and context for community life.
In today’s pericope, Paul corrects the Corinthians’ misunderstanding of spiritual matters. For Paul, real spirituality is given by the Spirit, and allows a believer to confess that “Jesus is Lord” and to live accordingly. Paul defines “spiritual matters” as “gifts.” No one merits these spiritual gifts; God, through the Spirit, freely gives each gift to build up the community (“for some benefit”). Along with gifts, the Spirit also gives “services” and “workings” for the common good. No gift is greater or lesser than any other gift; the community needs all gifts equally. Paul admonished the Corinthians that the Spirit gives different gifts to different people for the good of all. Paul then introduces his “body/members” analogy, a common figure of speech in antiquity. Speakers and writers compared human society to a human body, whose well-being depends on each citizen knowing his or her role and place. Paul changes the analogy: now the body of believers is Christ; the body of Christ (“so also Christ”). In baptism, the Spirit binds believers in a living unity to Christ (“in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body”). Within this unity, God calls diverse believers to different and necessary roles.
The Lectionary editors chose this reading because it describes the Spirit’s presence and effects in the believing community.
Gospel (Jn 20:19-23)
John’s gospel gives his version of the outpouring of the Spirit on the believing community, which happens on the evening of the resurrection. Like Luke, John borrows imagery from Hebrew scripture to show God’s presence and to connect the Spirit to the disciples’ new mission.
- Jesus turns fear to peace and joy. The disciples have not yet seen the risen Jesus, and remain fearful. Despite the locked door, Jesus appears in their midst offering a blessing of peace/shalom. Jesus shows them his hands and side to confirm he is Jesus, the man they knew.
- Jesus commissions the disciples. Repeating his peace/shalom blessing, Jesus commissions the disciples to continue his mission: to be the revealers and revelation of God in the world.
- Jesus gives the Spirit-paraclete to the believing community. To empower the disciples’ work, Jesus breathes the Spirit into his believing community. This sign of breath/wind/spirit (in Hebrew, ר֫וּחַ/ruaḥ; in Greek πνεῦμα/pneûma) recalls God’s spirit creating the world (Gn 1:2) and God breathing life into Adam (Gn 2:7). Jesus’ creative breath imbues his community with the Spirit’s continuing presence, and gives the community power and authority to forgive sin, as Jesus did in his ministry.
Summary and reflection
Jesus’ resurrection has many meanings and many implications. Throughout the Easter season, the readings have invited us to reflect on this cosmos-changing event. Acts uses dramatic images from Hebrew scripture to describe God as present in the outpoured Spirit. Paul describes the Spirit’s effects in empowering and uniting a diverse community. John describes Jesus giving the Spirit, who empowers his community to continue to reveal God to the world.
The Spirit’s coming can be as dramatic as a windstorm or as intimate as a breath, but the Spirit comes always to unify communities and to empower every believer. Where do we find the Spirit at work in our communities and ourselves? Are we using the Spirit’s gift of new hearing to listen to others? Are we practicing the Spirit’s gifts of service and work to build up our communities? Are we empowered by the Spirit to reveal and to be the ongoing revelation of God to others?
—Terence Sherlock
The Lectionary In Context 